NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIA DAY

November 5, 2026

Kaden Honeycutt

Press Conference

An Interview with:

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I would say so, yeah. We've obviously been the best trucks for sure consistency-wise and every week that we've shown up we've been in the hunt together.

So, yeah, it's been a great year for us. I feel like I've definitely grown quite a few months throughout the year. First half of the year wasn't where I wanted it to be, but was able to click it off halfway through this year and have put up really good numbers for my team. Scott and the guys have done a great job every week to be in this position to go out and finish it off on Friday.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, absolutely. I think Scott was a huge reason why I was able to be in the position I think. Changing racecraft-wise, sim-wise outside of the racetrack. Got a lot more closer to where we needed to be to continue to move forward.

You know, there was rule changes, body changes, and things like that, but last year we were also adapting to it as well. So, yeah, definitely been quite a difference throughout the year, but I think we'll have a great truck tomorrow.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I would say so, yeah. If we go out and just focus on finishing the race, winning the stages, and contending for the win at the end the night, I think that will make our points situation a lot easier.

I think if you have any other mindset other than just win the race I think you take yourself out of it mentally. Our job is pretty simple: Go out and win tomorrow.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, it's been nothing but a great season for both of us, but I think as far as the way we race each other is going to be no different tomorrow. We've raced really hard for the last five or six years and we've worked extremely hard to get to this opportunity.

I think if we can win the championship the right way, I think that would progress us to move up to the next level a lot easier than wrecking each other to win this deal.

I don't expect anything like that on Friday at all. So I think if we can win this championship the right way for either me or him, it will definitely set us apart from the rest and I think that's what we would like to do.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, absolutely. I think definitely expect the same for sure. I would sure hope. But as far as my team, everyone is on board for next year, so I'm looking forward to hopefully chasing another title like we are this weekend.

But, yeah, I think you'll see quite a few guys improve. I think Eckes will improve next year. He is getting back into trucks and trying to reinvent that theme as well. I don't expect to two-man race next year again. I think we'll have quite a few competitors.

You know, my goal next year too, is to -- I lost a lot of races to the Cup guys this year, and I want to try to beat them next year and to -- whenever they come down and do race with us, I want to be able to beat those guys and win those races as well.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, for sure. I think we've had a great season for both of us, but I think for me I'm just trying to adapt early on in the season with this group, and to have the truck handling where I need it to be at. I think our mile and a half program has been extremely well throughout this year, so looking forward to Friday night. See if we can cap this thing off.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, for sure. You know, I think to this day I still have more dirt than I do asphalt just with how many times I ran back home in Texas. I want to win this for my state of Texas. I want to win this for all the dirt track guys at home, and also every single team owner I've been so fortunate to race for the past four or five years to be in this position in the Truck Series specifically.

And the late model side, all those guys that gave me a chance as well to race and be in this spot to run for a title.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Definitely be cool. I do have a plan if I was to win it. I would keep it in his room and just have a signature of like this is really, really cool. So he'll be a bigger trophy I promise you than the championship. Whether you win it or not, he'll be the most important thing no matter what.

Q. Do you feel like winning the championship you're going to have more...

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, I don't see it any other way. We've traded blows throughout the season, throughout the Chase. I think it'll be the same on Friday.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I don't know. Really have to ask somebody else that's won one. As far as what I've seen in trucks, Corey last year won the championship as a Cup guy next year, and people past before that. Ty has been a great champion as well.

I don't know, I think it could boost your morale for sure, but I think it's -- honestly to be a champion is cool, but I think have to do more than just be a champion. I think you have to handle things on the racetrack well, off the racetrack with sponsors and everybody, and have a good personality to go along with the team if you were to move up to Cup or O'Reilly's or whatever that would be.

Yeah, I think it would be cool. For me, winning the title for this team is all I'm really worried about, and I really want Scott to be a Hall of Famer crew chief because he certainly deserves it and honestly my team does too.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Definitely. I mean, I'm on offense either way, if I was 20 down or 20 up, but I think the goal tomorrow is pretty simple: Go out and win the race and make that a lot easier. Winning the race will make points take care of themselves.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I mean, I think we're both pretty similar mindset. I don't really have friends that I talk to outside the racetrack. I have my circle group, but I don't have anybody in this field that I usually speak to or I hang out with outside the racetrack or go have lunch or something.

I think we're similar in that fashion. We both have the same mindsets in that. And there is nothing wrong with that I don't think. Me and him have a lot of respect for each other and we race each other hard but not crash each other.

Like I said, I think if it we can win this the right way and it would really show the series you can race each other hard and just not wreck each other to win the championship and to win races in general.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Well, I think for the humidity side, Texas is 100 degree weather in the summertime. Definitely been used to that, but Mooresville in North Carolina has definitely changed up I think my adaptation a little bit.

Not too bad. We usually do all the stuff at Toyota on the training side no problem. Yeah, I think humidity will definitely be good for us. It will honestly be fun as a driver to slip around there on Homestead and have a lot more tire wear than what we're used to.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, it will be really nice for sure, especially going through two sets of tires. I'm able to make a couple long runs and have your handling where you want it to start the race on Friday.

So I think it will be nice, but I think we'll have a good practice tonight and I'm just trying to make some gains and also try some things to have an advantage on Friday.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I think qualifying and race will be different even it was day or nighttime, so the adjustments will be the same. It will just be you're going to hold it to the same pressure, so not too concerned about that for Friday afternoon in qualifying. And also, we've practiced in the afternoon here before the last couple years, so I don't -- based off Scott's notes, I don't think we'll have an issue with that.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Well, I feel like James last year. I didn't know if I should have been there or not, but I ended up being there and just playing on house money and just going out and just having fun and seeing if I can snooker one out.

I think this one is definitely different in the fact that we've had an amazing year this year. I think we certainly deserve to win it, I think my team deserves to win it, and I'm certainly going to try to deliver it to them on Friday night.

Yeah, definitely different atmosphere for sure than the one I was at last year.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, he's been a great mentor on and off the racetrack, so I think without that guy I wouldn't have won 20 races this year, including the Truck Series. So he's just taught me a lot on how to be a better person, better driver, how to handle things and situations and what to look for in a truck every single racetrack we go to.

We've built a good notebook for this year. I feel like year one together I think it's been really awesome to be the truck to beat after year one, so I'm looking forward to next year what we can do on that side, but also what we can do Friday night and win here Homestead.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Well, I think for my side, yeah, I had a little bit of pressure, right? But I think with all the body changes and the rule changes I'm pretty intact on that side and familiar with, and I think it was more so just what we have to do to balance out the truck from the new body stuff for this year, and also for me what to adapt with Scott.

Like I said, I feel like for year one together we've done really well. We struggled at some places but have ran really good off the truck at most, so definitely can't complain about it. I think the first half of the year I definitely struggled with learning how to win. Lost a lot of races to Cup guys throughout the first part of the season, and I think the second half of the year definitely turned it up a bit and got much better and more adaptable.

So, yeah, looking forward to seeing if we can cap it off and have an even better year next year.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, I think last year not winning the race but being at Phoenix was odd for sure. I definitely didn't like the feeling of that. This year being able to win races, have many top fives, top tens as we had, I think it was kind of a championship win year for me.

I think second year you're not really expecting it, especially first year with the team, but I think the guys are plenty capable. Toyota has great resources. Scott is an amazing guy and a great crew chief to work with.

Not really -- didn't think about it too much. Definitely would've been disappointing if we had not done it.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I think it will be a great race. Trucks in general, obviously we regularly put on the best racing anyway. Yeah, I think it will be a great race for us Friday night. I think we'll look forward to having a great race between each other and the rest of the field.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, I think Scott has been a great guy to lean on in that aspect. He's gone through a lot and also has seen pretty much everything for as long as he's been in NASCAR and been a crew chief.

Yeah, just tried to lean on him as much as I could leaned on my resources at Toyota Racing the leaned on the people that have been doing this for a long time. Also reaching out to my peers at Toyota. Corey has been a great guy. I can ask any question I can possibly ask and he never hesitates to answer.

Appreciate him and everybody else I reached out to this year to be better as a person and also better as a driver.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, I think we have the same mindset. We go out and try to win, and anything else is disappointing, right? So I think we didn't -- Michigan I didn't handle after the race very well, but, no, I think we've came together. Any I've been able to ask a question. He's honestly asked me stuff about late models, too. I think that's kind of where that connection came at, is we actually raced pretty much the same car when we were running late model stuff this year.

Yeah, I think any time -- yeah, I don't think he has any problem with anybody, even if -- we had a run in last year in Martinsville in the spring, but we got past that pretty quickly.

But, yeah, I think it's been nothing but good for us. Also, yeah, we don't, at Toyota, try to crush anybody. We try to help each other out the best we can. We all want to see or trucks succeed.

Q. (Inaudible.) What does that say about you looking back? How do you feel about that?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, it's been nothing but crazy for sure, you know, being in the trucks I've been fortunate enough to drive in to start my career, and then to end it right here at Homestead for a championship is definitely something different I would never would have thought of when I was running dirt back at home in Texas.

All the dirt track guys in Texas, this is for my home state, this is for those guys, and every team owner I raced for to be in this position.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Oh, hell, since 2021, I think. So '21 all the way until now. He hasn't run them as much, but I try to do it as much as I possibly can because you never know when the last race you'll be able to run.

Yeah, I think for me I just try to stay mentally locked in. Race-wise, always stay in the race car and being mentally sharp is mostly the reason why I do it.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I think for us, tire wear at this racetrack constantly changes every single lap, so you're constantly having to adapt how much grip you have. When you go to other places like Kansas and Charlotte you're kind of expecting the tire falloff, but just not as egregiously. Here it's every single lap you're taking so much life out of the tire. Honestly, when you run across pit road you take life out of it.

So, yeah, I think it's different having to adapt to different laps and different grip levels. Trucks has not generally ran on the fence, but Larson ripped it last year in March and really showed us that it's actually really fast. So we'll try to save it for the end of the race if we need it, but we will hopefully have a good gap and run towards the bottom and towards the top throughout the whole night.

Q. (Inaudible.) Do you feel like you have the extra boost to turn that on?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, I've ran well here. I just haven't had the great finishes. Yeah, I love running this racetrack. I love Homestead, love Darlington. I love all these mile and a halfs. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to go out and try to win a championship at a track that we never should have left for the title anyway.

Q. Do you like...

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Absolutely, yeah. Like I said, the dirt stuff, I ran on the cushion a lot. The people that were rubber down on the bottom catfishing, I was up there on the top. I refuse to run in one lane. I am looking forward to it. I love Homestead. Hopefully go get a trophy Friday night.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I mean, we've had -- we have respect for each other. I mean, we've ran well as far as our years racing. We've had a couple run-ins but it was mild stuff when we were kids. We've grown up and matured a lot more, and for us, we just want to win this title respectfully.

I think that's what could boost some morale for us and also move up to the next level. We don't want to win the championship and make it to look egregious and make it look terrible. That would put us probably a couple years behind in that aspect.

My goal is pretty simple: Go out and win the race, whether it's racing against him or my teammates or anybody else in the team and hopefully win this title the right way.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I think it would just make this year two a little bit easier with the team. Obviously year one I don't think people expected to contend for a championship and win as many races as we did.

And put up the numbers we have as well.

So, yeah, I think it would definitely help us for next year. It would help for me confidence-wise. I have a ton of confidence whether we win the championship or not next year to contend for it again.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Well, it's such an amazing racetrack. It's a place to go out and win a title and win a race as well. Yeah, Homestead is also -- it's been around for years and I think it's been an iconic racetrack to end the season on.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, definitely don't want to do that for sure. I think we'll go out and just focusing on winning the race and the stages and the points take care of it after that. Just a winning mindset for me and my team is all we're looking for.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: It's been definitely great for both of us I think just trading blows back and forth and just seeing our strengths and weaknesses together. He's seen my weakness; I've seen his weakness, and he's seen my strong suit and I've seen his strong suit.

I think it's been a great year for both of us. I think we ran each other extremely well, raced each other hard and not crashed each other. I think it shows a lot on how you can race each other respectfully and also hard to win a championship as well.

Yeah, looking forward to it. I think we'll have a great ball on Friday afternoon -- or Friday night to hopefully win this title the right way.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Just fiercesome. You know, I think we are just very fierce competitors. We don't like losing. We hate losing more than we love winning, and I think that just strikes a competitiveness in our hearts. Me and him grew up the same way. We worked on our race cars so hard throughout the week to even be at the racetrack, and to have the opportunity to move on to the next level and to be here is really amazing.

Just appreciate everybody that's let me work on their race cars and to be at this point to race for a title.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, I definitely knew that going into it. With all the body changes and things like that, things change. So I think it's that perspective that the public doesn't usually see is things change, and a dominant truck can certainly turn into a fifth place truck year by year even with the same people because things change, right?

Yeah, I think we've done a great job adapting. I think we've had really great speed everywhere we've gone. Maybe a couple tracks we struggled at, but I don't think this track will be one of them. I think Scott has had a really good resume here, and looking forward to practice later tonight and to make it that much better for Friday.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: We're good, yeah.

Q. Just take me through the season. How much you've grown under the TRICON banner.

KADEN HONEYCUTT: It's been nothing but great obviously. I've learned a lot from the mentorship of him and off the racetrack as a person, and how to be a better man in general has definitely helped me drive these race trucks for him. We've gotten a lot better with each off track on sim and being at the racetrack as well.

We've really gotten a lot more connected throughout these last couple months, and I think that's what has helped us strive to that next level. Hopefully since we got a full length practice later tonight and two sets of tires to run through, I think we'll have that much better of a chance on Friday as well.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Well, I think it's just definitely different for sure, but I think for me, like I just love the pressure to wake up and know that I have to win the race or win a race. Toyota has definitely struck a lot of confidence in me. Scott has struck confidence in me and my team to be successful every week.

He tells me every week, I don't expect you to win every week. No, we expect to be better, and for year two when come back, be that much more farther ahead. The fact that we're doing this year one is really awesome for both of us and for my team as well.

So, yeah, looking forward to that next year, but we got a championship to win this time for sure.

Q. Where do you want to improve in 2027?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Well, I think '27 I want to improve on beating the Cup guys that come down to the Truck Series level. I lost a lot of races this year to the Cup guys, and I definitely want to change that for next year.

I want to take that step ahead, step farther ahead and be able to beat those guys, because you're going to have to if you want it race on Sunday, right?

I think for me, that's the thing I struggled at this year was to out-prep them and out-work them when it comes to restarts and just thinking ahead, and also reaction stuff was something I wasn't spot-on with this year.

So, yeah, looking forward to that, and hopefully next year we'll go out and win the championship again next year -- win a championship next year, but right now we're focused on what's ahead on Friday.

Q. What do you have to do to beat Layne on Friday night?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: I think win the race. It's pretty simple. If we go out there and do that, make our lives a lot easier. Don't have to crunch numbers to figure out where we have to be other than just win.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Absolutely. Thank you.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Well, I think team 11 is going to try to accomplish the championship and also win here at Miami. I think this team has been due to win at Miami, so hopefully we can do that and win a championship at the same time.

I think that would be extremely cool to do that. No one wants to finish second anyway, but winning the race and the title at the same time would make it that much sweeter.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yes, uh-huh.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: The Krush, South Carolina 400, and Thanksgiving classic, so next four weeks, yeah.

Q. Florence?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Florence, yeah. Yeah, four weeks in a row.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Not -- not until the Snowball it doesn't end.

Q. And then after the Snowball?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: That's it until Daytona.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: No, I won't be able to, no.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, we'll have a not really too packed for us. Mostly just be getting ready for the tests for next year in January. But I think for us we'll be off for a little while on sim stuff and everything.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Not anymore. Yeah, other than dirt.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, Kyle, central Texas, yeah.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, it's gone. Yeah.

Q. (Regarding San Antonio.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah.

Q. (Regarding dirt.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Uh-huh.

Q. I guess that's Kyle.

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, yeah, that's Kyle.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: For late model stock stuff, yes. For the Snowball would be JC Motorsports and Jett Motorsports.

Q. Both?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Uh-huh.

Q. Is everything good in parenthood?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Oh, yeah. We're getting the house ready, pretty much waiting on the crib now and my chair.

Q. Your chair?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, the rocking chair.

Q. Are you excited?

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, very. Pretty cool. That's mostly why I can't run New Smyrna so...

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah, I don't even know where she went. She's somewhere.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah. Not too bad. Maybe be cold, maybe be hot. We'll see.

Q. I'm in Beaumont, so right there on 10.

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Right.

Q. (Inaudible.) (Regarding driving six hours).

KADEN HONEYCUTT: Yeah.